Painkiller Addiction and Overdose on the Rise

Americans in record numbers (more than 70 million annually) are getting prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs. To illustrate just how serious this problem is, in 2010, “there were enough narcotic painkillers being prescribed in the US to medicate every single adult, around the clock, for a month.”[1] And if that isn’t frightening enough, narcotics cause the deaths of 46 Americans every day. We use twice the amount of painkillers as Canadians, who are in second place in terms of prescriptions.

The Director of the CDC, Tom Friend, recently warned that “Patients given just a single course [of narcotic painkillers] may become addicted for life.”[2] Of course these drugs are a good resource to have in extreme situations, but there are most definitely better ways to deal with pain before seeking out a prescription. They should not be the first line of defense for pain, and neither doctors nor patients should be taught to think of them that way.

Though prescription rates vary from one state to another in the US, Florida began to strengthen its prescription guidelines in 2010, and has since seen a decrease in narcotic-related deaths by 23%.[3] Deaths from oxycodone, the most commonly abused of these drugs, fell in Florida by 50% from 2010 to 2012.[4] Clearly, there is a connection between the ease of acquiring a prescription and the ultimate overdose and death rates.

Chicago and two counties in California, Orange and Santa Clara, have filed a lawsuit

against a few of the drug companies that manufacture OxyContin, largely holding them accountable for America’s current drug abuse epidemic. Some believe that it is all due to a “decades-long marketing plan” by drug companies “to create a market for these drugs that never should have existed.”[5] The lawsuit also blames these companies, as well as funding organizations, for promoting the use of painkillers to prescribing doctors, lying to them about the risks and benefits of opioids, as well as the patients who then demand them from their physicians.

As I said before, there are many other solutions for pain relief that should be considered the first line of defense before NSAIDs. First, try eliminating or greatly reducing grains and sugars from your diet, as this will lower your insulin and leptin levels. Be sure you’re getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are actually related to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins, which is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work (they manipulate prostaglandins).[6] Get regular and safe exposure to sunlight, which will optimize your production of vitamin D and work in various ways to reduce pain.

Chiropractic care, as I have stated numerous times before, can greatly impact your overall health in ways you wouldn’t even imagine! Physical and massage therapies are also effective ways to get out of pain. You can steep ginger in boiling water and drink it as a tea, or grate it into vegetable juice, as it has potent anti-inflammatory properties and can even settle a stomach ache. Yoga, meditation, hot and cold packs, and various mind-body techniques can also lead to a pain-free lifestyle without the use of any drugs at all. There are so many other, better methods to relieve pain than NSAIDs, so be sure to look into your options the next time you’re in pain before you pop a potentially very harmful pill.

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[1] Dr. Mercola. “As Painkiller Addiction and Overdoses Continue to Rise, Pharmaceutical Companies Are Sued for Inciting Epidemic.” Mercola.com. July 17, 2014. < http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/07/17/painkiller-addiction-overdose.aspx?e_cid=20140717Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20140717Z1&et_cid=DM52794&et_rid=588999079>

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.